New Bern Housing Authority requested a letter this week from Craven County commissioners to HUD on the Craven Terrace Demolition and Disposition project application.

The request ruffled some feathers when presented to county board members Monday and prompted some still unanswered questions about whether Craven County’s voice is needed, or even appropriate.

Craven commissioners were asked to “certify that the Authority has advised Craven County, to the extent necessary, on its proposed demolition and disposition plan for the fiscal year 2014-2015.”

The Housing Authority is working toward a $27.3 million Craven Terrace redevelopment plan and seeking financing from the Rental Assistance Demonstration, RAD, program. The project aims to renovate 319 apartments and demolish 42 apartments. Because some of those being demolished are in a flood plain, some can not be rebuilt.

With the exception of Commissioner Johnnie Sampson, whose district includes the public housing project planned for revitalization and whose wife formerly sat on the Authority board, most commissioners said they know very little about the project.

County Manager Jack Veit said he attended one Choice Neighborhoods grant project meeting, but primarily for information related to transportation.

The requested letter drafted by the Housing Authority for Chairman Tom Mark’s signature, would also certify that “the proposed activities by the Authority are consistent with the overall growth plan for Craven County.”

Veit said it was his opinion after checking with Craven County Planning Director Don Baumgardner, “that the project and this letter are consistent with our land use plan.”

As it relates to this project, that would be the FEMA-mandated Hazard Mitigation Plan which identifies best practices for growth, he said. That includes not spending public money in a flood plain.

“But we do need to know the full plan,” said Veit. “I’m not sure that the county is really the appropriate jurisdiction to comment here. City zoning supersedes the county here anyway.”

Mark said that although the letter did not appear to imply Craven County endorsement of the project, “I feel like we need to do due diligence to insure that it also wouldn’t not result in any potential liability.”

He appointed a committee consisting of him, Veit, and commissioners Sampson and Steve Tyson to meet with Housing Authority Director Julian Marsh, but that had not been arranged by early afternoon Friday.

Veit said the county attorney and attorney for the Authority are looking to see if the county is the appropriate jurisdiction for the certification.